Bonds as strong as Time [[For LoneDigger and Myself]]

[LoneDigger]

"You're also forgetting who it is you are stuck with. A hyena can handle more than any old fish or snow cat. I'm a lot harder than you think."

 

Dakari bragged a little as he took the empty glasses and lined them up on the tray, filling each with the alcohol and then downing one after another. Not even pausing between drinks.

 

"There, are we even now? I'm ready to show you both your first taste at loosing your own game."

 

The prince was back to being cocky again, and the fact that both Kisame and Katsu seemed to be encouraging him this time instead of scolding him, or giving him another lesson in humility.

It actually didn't feel like being with a couple of Sentinels, but other mischievous brats as they liked to call it.

Strange it was to picture the pair being his age, but now he could imagine it just a little better now that he had discovered this side.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Blinking a few times when Dakari downed the row of drinks he had set up for himself, Katsu turned wide slightly impressed eyes towards his companion as Kisame practically gaped at the boy. That certainly was one way to catch up to them but Katsu wouldn't have considered it wise. The boy was a hyena but alcohol was alcohol, after all.

 

"You know you're crazy, right brat. Don't come whining to me tomorrow when you regret your life choices tonight" Kisame shot out with a laugh, pulling the tray back over to their side with a "No more for you for now".

 

Holding back silent laughter, shoulders shaking a bit with the force of the laugh he was managing to suppress, Katsu shook his head at Dakari even as he accepted a refill from Kisame. "You are definitely going to be far from well tomorrow. It's been a while since I've last seen anyone drink that amount of liquor in such speed and that person destroyed herself by the end of it" the feline literally purred out.

 

"Hey now, it'll be fun to see this brat drunk and stumbling around. A story for the ages, especially since he thinks he's going to somehow win at this just because he's a hyena" Kisame teased, breathing a sound of content as he once again finished his glass. It took a minute of him eyeing the glass and then the bottle of the tray before he was shrugging and simply forgoing the glass to drink directly from the bottle.

 

"Really? You're a terrible example, guppy" Katsu laughed, unable to hold it back anymore as he watched the shark lower the bottle again. Quickly taking it from his rather loose grip, knowing full well his friend was on the way to remembering barely anything of this night, Katsu shook his head at the pair. Of everything he had expected to happen tonight, this was not part of it.

 

"You're just as bad when you're drunk, Icicle, don't you try to deny it" Kisame teased, winking at the cat who simply shrugged and took a swing of the bottle in his grasp. "So, punk, what else would you like to do tonight? You're on your way to getting drunk, hanging out with a pair of semi drunk Sentinels and in a Inn that can cater to your every desire. Is there anything you've wanted to experience but never got a chance to?"

[LoneDigger]

"I'll be hell to deal with in any event so don't bother trying to stop me~"

 

Dakari chuckled softly, but made no move to help himself for another round. Maybe he should hold back, see how things went before showing them.

He studied Katsu for a moment, and let out a soft sound, maybe like a hiccup, but he quickly covered his mouth before anyone could ask, or notice.

 

"... So Hiyori's a lightweight?"

 

He laughed, not sure if that who the snow leopard was referring to. But for some reason it was just his default guess.

 

"Win? I've already beat you both~"

 

The prince bragged, leaning against the rocks adjacent to the older pair. He felt impossibly warm, which for a creature who loved fire seemed strange. The heat was just spreading all throughout him, but he liked it. Made him feel something he didn't know he had in him.

 

"Just one night... Huh... What is your plans? Anything you missed on the bucket list?"

 

Dakari snickered, but really he had no idea where to even start. He had never been to this particular inn before, nor had he even drank. What you were supposed to do next, he wasn't so sure. Kisame said something about girls before, maybe that was the correct answer? He had no idea.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

"Trust us, Princeling, we wouldn't try to stop you at all. In fact, it's more than likely we would be secretly encouraging your hellish behavior. It'll make the event all that more entertaining" Katsu admitted with a small shrug of the shoulders. There was no lying about how boring most of the events they were forced to attend were so why not be honest about it tonight.

 

"No lie there, honestly, I'm surprised none of us have fallen asleep standing up while at those events" Kisame murmured in agreement even as he took the bottle back from the snow leopard to take another swallow of the liquid inside.

 

Chuckling in amusement at those words, Katsu turned his gaze back to Dakari and when he found the boy watching him, he raised a brow and shot a smirk at the youth. Almost as if he was asking a silent question even though he doubted the kid would have a good enough answer. However, at the statement of his sister, his thoughts were quickly captured and a smile that matched Kisame's quickly found a way onto his face in a second.

 

"She absolutely is. Just don't let her know we told you that, she'll have our heads on a platter if word gets around outside the Sentinels" the feline laughed and Kisame playfully groaned beside him.

 

"I honestly thought she'd be alright, she's Katsu's sister after all.....but brat, when we tell her that she destroyed herself...she absolutely destroyed herself. Half way through it she decided to channel her inner octopus because she wrapped her arms and legs around Katsu and clung to his back all night claiming she was to weak to walk and needed body heat to function properly. The next morning she was clinging to him for a whole other reason that involved nausea and headaches" Kisame's voice shook with barely held back laughter as he relived that memory in his head.

 

Scoffing in slight mirth at the words that Dakari had best them already, Katsu shot a playful glance over at Dakari murmuring "You wish" even as his eyes turned thoughtful at the boy's question.

 

"Princeling, we've been around for centuries. Everything we didn't do in our youth, we did further down the line. In fact, we've done things a dozen times over compared to anyone else in this realm aside from the other Sentinels. There's nothing left we haven't done" Katsu responded easily enough.

 

"Except find mates....but I think we still have some time for that left. Besides, we're perfectly satisfied with each other so there's no real rush. What will come, will come" Kisame shrugged before landed those slitted eyes on Dakari as a wide smile began to make another appearance. "You on the other hand, have much to try out. I think Kaede still has the dancers she occassionally hires for special guests. Those four are downright gorgeous and I'm sure they'd entertain you in many many ways tonight if you want. You need only say the word and we'll get them set up for you".

[LoneDigger]

This again?

 

Dakari couldn't just blow it off this time, he was getting cornered. If he said no, they would surely know that he was still just a stupid kid who didn't even know how to mate properly. For all he knew this could be some kind of test, and if he failed being sent back home as nothing more than the brat who couldn't even bed anyone so like hell he's going to face a war.

No, that's not what he wanted at all.

 

"Sounds like you'd like that... Can't stop thinking of them?"

 

The prince teased, still somehow bluffing that he was much more expiernced on the topic than he truly was.

 

"Right, Frostbite? Does that make you jealous that Guppy is lusting over some common whores?"

[Full_Moon_Rising]

The slow grin that began to gradually tilt the corners of Katsu'a lips up could have been downright criminal. Combined with the heavily lowered lids that seemed to speak promises of pleasure and confidence and the soft puff of an amused air out of the lithe muscled body, Katsu gave off the image of someone completely at ease with his sexual prowess and everything else between those lines. His eyes sparkled with wild feral nature as they took in Dakari and his words before he was parting his lips to answer the boy.

 

"Now why would I be jealous when he knows he can have the best of anything he would like with me. If he chooses to bed common whores, that's his choice....he's just missing out on what true passion could feel with one that can stand toe to toe with him" the snow leopard voice came out with a seductive tone. A tone promising everything your imagination and heart could think of and more.

 

Feeling a hand rise from the water to sink into his wet hair and slowly trail it's way up to the base of where his ears usually manifested if he allowed them too, Katsu's had no way of stopping the full body purr that escaped him. It rumbled out of him with force, brought to life by the bliss of having what would be the base of his feline ears rubbed with experienced, soothing fingers. Pressing his head slightly against the hand in a silent request for more pressure, Katsu kept those heavy lidded eyes on Dakari. Eyes that could be argued to be inviting and challenging at the same exact time.

 

"You see, brat, while the women here might be drop dead beautiful...I wouldn't trade my snow cat for them. The pleasure we share is much more profound that what a whore can bring me. Like I said, we're satisfied with one another and no talk of bedding someone else would even sound honest.....unless we happen to find our mates. I would say that you could see for yourself but since you insist on wanting nothing to do with us in that regard....then what this Inn supplies will just have to due for you" Kisame smirked, clearly enjoying the power he had over the snow leopard.

 

Katsu was not one normally to turn to puddy in anyone hands but there were certain areas where he couldn't stop his physical and mental reaction. The base of both his tail and ears and well as along his back had always been incredibly sensitive. It was a age old sensation shared by all cats and honestly, despite hating showing any sign of weakness, Katsu enjoyed attention such as this.

[LoneDigger]

"Hm... Are you sure that you two aren't a couple pair of sluts? The way you show off in front of me, for everyone here to see is kind of scandalous you know~"

 

Dakari didn't even have to ask or pay for this kind of show. The only problem was, it did more so to anger and confuse the prince than to turn him on, but the latter was still always there. He lusted for the snow leopard just as much, but he couldn't have him, which added to his frustrations.

Maybe he should just leave and find some whore, he didn't think he liked females that way, but maybe if he just tried it he would finally get what the big thrill was.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

"They've seen us in worse scenarios, this is nothing but just the tip of the iceberg in how scandalous we can really get when we feel like it" Kisame answer was a mixture of amusement and full, complete honesty.

 

"Besides, I'd sooner rip the hand off who tries to touch me in a way I don't approve. Just because we're letting you see something like this doesn't mean we'd show this to just about anyone" Katsu chuckled, eye half closed and completely relaxed with the hand running talented fingers through his hair.

 

"And it's not like this will amount to much of anything. We haven't slept together in almost a year now....which is depressing but oh well. Little displays like these are entertaining for both of us but its probably not going to amount to anything but us heading to our respective beds tonight. We have other things to set our minds on than going at it like bunny rabbits" the shark admitted, sharing a fond look with the feline.

 

"That being said, I'm gonna do just that and head for my room before I get too carried away. I fully expect you not to be hungover in the morning, brat. And Katsu, if you're planning on soaking a bit longer, make sure the kid doesn't drown himself in liquor" Kisame added after a moment, reluctantly pulling away from the feline.

 

Even if he wanted to plant a kiss on this soft lips, he wasn't gonna push it. One thing was playfully showing physical acts like these and another was taking it to the next limit. And he wasn't particularly in the mood to get clawed tonight. Rising from the water, thankful that years of practice helped him keep the evidence of his arousal mostly under control, Kisame shot one last grin at the pair before striding out of the water and back into the in.

 

Holding the half way empty bottle the shark had given him on his way out, Katsu melted back against the wall once more before asking "Are you going to have more, Princeling? Or are you heading to bed too?".

 

He himself would be heading off soon enough, but he wouldn't force Dakari to do anything he didn't want to.

[LoneDigger]

Why was Kisame suddenly sharing something so personal to him? Was he really just that drunk? Or was it because despite all the jabs that he was hardly just a kid anymore and could handle this sort of conversation.

Dakari tried not to make it obvious, but the relief he felt when told that the pair hadn't been intimate in an entire year was the best possible thing out of the shark's mouth since... well, ever.

 

The blond knew he shouldn't be so happy over the pair's dried up sex life, but he was secretly jumping in his head. He had to hold back from smiling too much, that would be a give away.

 

"Goodnight, Guppy. Although I can't make any such promises."

 

Dakari laughed, the elders were so confusing sometimes. One minute they were telling him not to over do himself, and then the next they were challenging him to rise to the occasion. It suited the hyena just the same either way, since his own moods tended to be very erratic.

 

".... I can fucking believe he drinks nearly all the booze, goes on and on about the girls, and then just leaves before the fun starts. Must be the cold blood."

[Full_Moon_Rising]

"That and his battalion is alot more rowdy than mine. He's needs the extra sleep to command those smart mouths tomorrow or they'll be driving him up the wall. My battalion is better organized and leagues above his in terms of manners and compliance to orders....though it does tend to be his fault since he'd rather goof around than provide orders properly"

 

Katsu sighed as he brought the drink back up to his lips to take another swallow of the numbing liquid inside. While he couldn't say that he was exactly sober, Katsu wasn't drunk or anywhere near it. More or less, he was relaxed and pleasantly buzzed. And while he was a creature that hated having to drop his guard considering the extremes his kind lived in, he couldn't help but enjoy the way the night had been going. Every now and again it was nice to relax and have a pleasant times with friends.

 

"So? What are you going to do, Princeling? Will you take the opportunity and try your hand at the women that idiot was speaking of? Or would you like to try something else tonight? The sky is the limit, regulations and rules a void until we join the others tomorrow. Whatever you have been taught as Prince you can forget for these last few hours. I can't promise you an opportunity such as this one again, so if you want to check something off your own bucket list, you're more than welcome to do so now" Katsu murmured.

 

He might not be Royalty but being a Sentinel was in no way easier. Some argued that Sentinels had it worse because they were always the first line of defense in any disruption not only in their realm but those around them. So sometimes, forgetting about ones duties and responsibilities was just what one needed to keep their sanity intact a little longer. Dakari might have always done as he had pleased, regardless of what others thought, but that didn't mean he hadn't possibly felt the constraints of being a Prince.

 

For tonight though, he didn't have to worry about that. He could be free to do whatever his young heart desired, within reason, of course.

[LoneDigger]

"Then what would you say if I wanted a man instead? Not just any, but a very particular person. Someone off limits under typical circumstance. Would you truly let me decide?"

 

Dakari smirked, he knew this was risky to speak this way to Katsu. But the hyena was playing the elder the only way he knew how. Being vague enough that really even for the snow leopard to guess he could be speaking of just about anyone, so if the other thought wrong, then he'd just roll with it. Easier than taking the pain of rejectment of the only one he had ever longed for in his life.

 

It almost did seem like a joke already, or some kind of trap. The sentinel would never mate with him, he just wouldn't. The prince knew that he, or rather his body, was something to barter that his parents believed should be sold to someone benefiting. Katsu was one of the most valuable soldiers to the kingdom, but he was just that. Bonding to him would not secure the throne. It just couldn't be that way, perhaps because in some ways, Sentinels were higher even than royalty. They were divine in a way that no king could ever hope to achieve.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Blinking slowly at Dakari when the boy spoke, Katsu cocked his head to one side curiously even as he parted his lips to speak again.

 

"Life is short, Princeling. Your lives are fragile, might as well enjoy them while you can. I've told you already, you may choose to court whoever it is that you have in mind. While you are here, amongst friends, obligations and rules do not have to be in the forefront of your mind....of course, that's as long as whatever you want is within reason. I don't plan on letting you dive off a cliff to your death just because you think it looks fun".

 

Tilting his head back to look up at the night sky above them, a soft smile touched Katsu's face. One far more affectionate and filled with warmth than those he usually sported. He couldn't help it though, despite the questions Dakari had asked, their surroundings were just too tranquil to not be able to enjoy. Especially when he tried to guess who Dakari might have actually found himself interested in, his personal feelings for the boy aside.

 

"Now, if its Kisame that has managed to capture your attention....I would advise you to proceed with caution. That man had no issue bedding anything that walks as long as he finds the opportunity to do so fascinating. Kisame has the potential to be a gentle lover, but that doesn't mean he doesn't occassionally like it rough as well. If it truly is Kisame that you wish to bed, then I'm sure you two will have quite a joyous time together, of course, thats as long as you don't kill one another in the process"

 

Katsu couldn't help but wonder if it really was Kisame, even as he spoke those teasing, mischievous words. The Prince and the shark did seem to have a certain chemistry between them. When they weren't insulting each other, they could be cordial, as what had taken place here in the hot springs just moments ago. They wouldn't make a great pair, no, their arguments sometimes were downright ridiculous, but if Dakari wanted to try his hand at taming Kisame....well who was he to judge.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari threw his head back and groaned loudly.

Fucking seriously?

Of all the men that Katsu had to guess from he thought he was fantasizing about the shark?

 

"No, no... I don't want to put my dick in Kisame....Ever."

 

Maybe he was being a bit harsh, and even lying to himself. The shark wasn't that bad looking, but he just couldn't image it ending in anything but a blood bath either which way it went.

 

"What's so great about him anyway? I mean, you would know better than any of us why the hell I would want to have in bed."

 

Now he was just curious. No, not because he was reconsidering his choice on fucking Kisame, even if he made it sound that way intentionally.

This was instead discreetly aimed to learn more about Katsu's preferences. What sharks had the hyenas apparently didn't when it came to being adequate lovers.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Openly laughing at Dakari when he groaned and responded to what he had said about Kisame, Katsu offered the bottle of liquor to the young Prince while shooting his a playful smirk. He couldn't help it if he had assumed what he had assumed, Kisame had appeared to be an honestly good option in who Dakari liked. Apparently, he had guessed wrong.

 

"You have my apologies, Princeling. I didn't mean to offend your tastes in men when I suggested it was Kisame" he chuckled briefly, looking warmly at the teenager before putting some thought in what Dakari had asked.

 

"He's a fine man, friend, soldier and Sentinel. There's many reasons to want to bed him. For all his sharp words and harsh tongue, Kisame is loyal to a fault and he'd lay down his life for this realm and the Sentinel code. He's protective of those who he holds dear and he'll go through hell and back to save the lives of those he loves" Katsu shrugged as he responded, gaze turning inward and pensive the more his thought of his best friend.

 

"My reasons for sleeping with him differ from what others might think favorable of him. He's my best friend, for one. He's saved my life about as many times I have his. He's one of the few who can help me maintain my sanity when my temper is roused and my element flares out of control. Kisame has stood shoulder to shoulder with me since we were young children and he has never once let me down. He has never once demanded of me what I can not give or held false expectations on how I am meant to act. I value his friendship and companionship....his loyalty is something not easily replaced.....Besides, he's not half bad in bed. That man knows how to take and give more than the average individual and there's never a dull moment with that moron"

 

There was a soft, internally amused smile on his face by the time he admitted what it was about his friend that had first drawn him in to sleep with him. Kisame was special, though he wasn't his mate, he was down right irreplaceable in most aspects. They had been with one another for too long to simply forget the other existed.

 

"But honestly, Dakari....If it is not Kisame that you wish to sleep with....Then who is it? Surely I must have seen him at least once or twice?" Katsu asked, genuinely interested despite the annoyance of the thought of Dakari being with someone else.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari accepted the offer with zero hesitation in taking a big swig right from the bottle, something he would never even dream of doing otherwise, especially not in front of his parents. Despite his attitude, he was a prince and thus was raised strictly in proper etiquette and manners, even if sometimes he'd like to pretend like he had no clue.

 

"Kisame is offensive, so it's not really your fault."

 

The blond male grinned, his cheeks were slightly red now. Not just from the nature of their conversation or his own dirty thoughts, but maybe the booze wasn't helping matters.

But Katsu's answer only helped him understand half way what he wanted to know, and he knew he couldn't ask again or in a certain way then it would be too obvious.

But then finally a hint... 'give and take'.

What was this 'give and take'? Dakari thought he had some kind of idea what this would entail, but considering he'd never even properly flirted with anyone he was a bit lost.

 

"...You've seen him alright."

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Snorting a brief sound of amusement, Katsu kept his eyes on Dakari. The boy looked just a tad flushed at the moment and Katsu couldn't say if he blamed it fully on the liquor he had just given the boy again or whatever kind of thoughts the teenager was thinking. However, it did stir the teasingly mischievous side of him again to the surface and while he wasn't one to openly toy with people...he just couldn't seem to help himself. Especially when he clearly held the upper hand this time in his conversation with the Prince. For all Dakari's bravado of knowing all about relationships and sex, Katsu doubted the boy could back his words up in the least.

 

"Have I now?" Katsu remarked, lips quirking up as the playful gleam of mischief once again coming to life in his eyes.

 

"And does he answer to your every desire? Surely if I have met him, he must be someone adequate for you and since you seem far more experience in the realm of romance and relationship, he must be someone that has captivated you greatly. Tell me, Princeling, is he someone that answers to the demands of your body? Does he recognize your need before you even murmur a word of it to him? Does he make you blood heat up with his presence by your side? Does his body claim yours the way it should or does he allow you to claim what you have deemed as belonging to you?"

 

The snow leopard practically purred those words out as he watched Dakari with quiet intent and endless amusement. Whoever this man had to be, he must have been quite the character to be able to put up with Dakari. Let alone try to bed him, that was if he was wrong and the Prince truly did know something about sex.

[LoneDigger]

"No, no, no... He's worthless in every regard you just named... It's not my fault we can't even do that kind of stuff together."

 

Dakari was quiet then, he shouldn't have said anything in the first place... His face was definitely flushed now. More so from his own frustrations over the fact that he couldn't fool himself or anyone else, and that Katsu was just teasing him when the snow leopard was the one he wanted all along just kind of felt like a cruel joke.

 

The prince sighed, forcing himself to put back on a smile again which came unhealthily easy for him. He was about to scream just two seconds ago but now he was seemingly back to his old grinning self with a fresh dash of arrogance.

 

"Well, that's just how it is. You can't have everything you want... I know, I know, even a prince such a myself? It's not as great as it seems, but... most of the time it's pretty damn alright being me~"

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Studying the boy for a long moment of silence, Katsu barely realized the frown that had appeared on his face. His thoughts were too focused on the teenager and the clear fact that he was hiding something behind that grin of his. He had known the boy for too long to not be able to see that. The problem was, he was fairly sure he couldn't pry whatever Dakari was hiding out of him if the boy didn't want to tell him. So he did the next best thing he could think of at the moment.

 

"You know, Dakari, you won't be able to achieve anything if you're not willing to at least try at first. My parents were never meant to fall in love and have cubs. A snow leopard and a lion, a creature from the frozen mountains and a creature from the warmth of the plains. It was said that their union would be impossible, that cubs were nothing but a fairytale of a thought....and yet here we are. Hiyori and I stand tall in their legacy, proving that nothing is impossible. The same can be said of your parents. It was unheard of for a wolf and hyena to mate and produce offspring, and yet they had you. A young yet proud and honorable Prince, one that will one day lead this Kingdom into the glory is deserves"

 

His tone was gentle, kind and compassionate for all it was worth. He felt pity for the boy and whoever his would-be-lover was. Though he hated the thought of Dakari being with someone else, though a part of him hissed and rebelled at the mere thought, Katsu would never deny the boy his happiness. Dakari deserved to be happy, to have someone at his side to help him one day rule their realm.

 

"Even if it is frowned upon, if it's against all you've been raised to be, if everyone says it's not a good idea.....I say, give it a shot. You never know just what might come out of your coupling with this man. And if he doesn't know of your feelings, tell him. Let him understand exactly what it is that you think of him...tell him before it's too late. We're in a time of war and life isn't promised tomorrow. It's best to let him know before you find yourself without another chance to do so. No matter how long or short a time you have together, if he reflects the feelings you have for him, then the happiness you both will share will be enough for you to treasure for the duration of your life....Nothing is ever simple, Princeling, but you have to be willing to try before admitting defeat...Think about it for the next time you're with him"

 

Those words might not mean much to Dakari now, but hopefully when he brought the Prince back to the palace, he'd be able to put them into use when he saw this man he seemed to be infatuated with. Trying was better than giving up without even putting an effort behind an attempt.

[LoneDigger]

"Katsu..."

 

Dakari started, about to confess. But then quickly shifted away again. He heard what the Sentinel was trying to tell him, but it somehow still didn't make things any more easy to bring up.

 

"Was Kisame your only lover?"

 

The prince wasn't trying to be nosy or disrespectful, but he had to know. If he could compete with the shark, then maybe there was just no hope for him.

He was so sure that the snow leopard didn't long for him the same way he did. Dakari still held onto the belief that fire and ice could never mix together.

 

"I mean... Before you thought I had lusted for Kisame of all things... Am I really so similar to him?"

 

This was getting dangerous, was he asking this casually enough? He wasn't ready to ask Katsu the question directly, but trying to get at it from another angle.

He blinked and stretched out against the rock, trying to act more relaxed than he really felt. The water suddenly felt too warm, the pleasant heat in his stomach was now like a fire, his own body was betraying him.

[Full_Moon_Rising]

There was a beat of silence as Katsu took in Dakari's latest question before a soft laugh was slipping out of him as he shook his head in amusement.

 

"I've been around for much too long to have Kisame be my only lover. While he is the longest lover I've had, he is by no means the only one. However, my other relationships have been short and almost nonexistent. You should take a peek in you palace library, there are scrolls dedicated to every Sentinel and the individual lovers they have had throughout the centuries"

 

Shifting his gaze around the steam coming out of the hot springs, Katsu felt his curiosity for where these questions were coming from increase. Dakari wasn't one to normally ask personal things like these, yet here he was doing just that. Perhaps he was seeking advice or direction for his own fledgling relationship, Katsu would never know for sure though. The boy had always had a rather confusing way to go about the simplest of matters.

 

"You bear some similarities but you are very different as well" the snow leopard answered, eyes landing on Dakari once more and the warmth in them was indisputable.

 

"While Kisame is my friend and special to me.....I must admit that you are eternally more precious to me than even him. I have watched you grow from a little irritating cub to a drama filled teenager. I have stood by your side and felt pride at your accomplishments and your small milestones. I have trained you and felt satisfaction in your growing strength under my tutelage. While your attitude and temper still need work, you have been a source of my pride and joy for quite some time now. You are in many ways more of a man than what I would have thought you'd be, and you're still not quite done learning and growing"

 

Pausing to really drink in the sight of the teenager across from him, Katsu smiled at the boy with an expression so filled of soft affection and devotion that was completely rare in the feline.

 

"You are very important to me, Princeling, and I care for you more than you can imagine. I wish only for your joy and triumph and I will destroy anything that gets in the way of your uprising to King in due time. Never compare yourself to others....you are far more than they are. You are unique and you have a great capacity to be kind. It has always been my pleasure to watch you grow with every passing year. I believe, even without my knowledge, you have quickly become one of the few I would not mind having around for a long time. I truly enjoy the time I spend by your side"

 

Slowly pushing himself to his feet, Katsu unwound his tail once more from his waist and ran his hand through his long wet hair. He hadn't been blind to the flushes of color he had seen in Dakari and while he didn't know exactly what was going on in the Prince's head, he assumed part of it had to do with the warmth of the water around them. Perhaps it was about time they headed back inside.

 

"Now, I do believe it is rather late.

We have to be up early tomorrow and I really don't want to hear Kisame teasing you for the duration of our travels due to your state of being hungover. Maybe it's best we head to sleep for the rest of the night" the feline suggested.

 

Closing the distance between himself and Dakari, Katsu calmly plucked the bottle out of the boy's hands before leaning down and doing something completely uncharacteristic for himself again. Pressing a soft, affectionate kiss against the boy's warm forehead, the snow leopard linger for just a moment before he was pulling away and ruffling Dakari's hair as he walked off towards the edge of the hot springs closest to the Inn doors with a short call of:

 

"Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

 

In the past, the snow leopard would have nuzzled his cheek against Dakari occasionally or rasped his tongue over the boy's ears when he was a cub, but those displays had grown far rarer as Dakari aged. Maybe it was the alcohol he had consumed tonight or something completely different that he didn't want to think about, what mattered was that Katsu had felt like providing the boy with a physical show of affection. One he hoped wouldn't get him a teenage temper tantrum for it later.

[LoneDigger]

Hearing the truth from Katsu certainly wasn't helping his flushed state, even if he had wanted to hear this his whole life. It was suddenly more than he could handle, the combined warmth from the normally cold snow leopard and his own internal heat.

So he wasn't just some useless brat who was just a disappointing excuse of a prince. Even if he was far from perfect, the sentinel was not holding a grudge against the times he had been less the capable, or even downright disrespectful and immature for his age.

 

Dakari didn't want to go to bed, he couldn't sleep now that he was feeling like this. But Katsu wasn't leaving any room for arguments, and he let the other take the bottle from him but he wasn't prepared for the kiss.

It was something rare, even when he was still small, and back then it had been more innocent. Right now shouldn't have felt any different from that, but he was not perceiving it the same way now that he was unable to deny his longing for the elder.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the other to say more, or even for the snow leopard's lips to travel down lower and kiss him for real. But the moment was interrupted by the feeling of his hair being messed up.

No, this wasn't different from back then. Katsu was just treating him like a cub again and that just broke him apart.

His reaction was spoken out of his own hurt, he didn't truly mean it. But he was so torn up and his heart felt like the snow leopard had actually pierced his claws into it.

 

"... Don't ever do that again. I am your future King, don't think you can just touch me and walk away."

[Full_Moon_Rising]

Pausing to glance back at the young Prince, Katsu raised a brow at him and his words but didn't immediately answer. He wasn't up to starting an argument but he knew himself well enough that he wouldn't let Dakari have the last word.

 

"Perhaps when you are finally King, I will find myself properly intimidated by your words. Until then, Princeling, remind yourself that I do what I want...whenever I want to do it. No matter who might try and tell me otherwise"

 

It was an age old custom amongst felines. They were creatures of free will, roaming to where their hearts desired without a care for the opinions of others. While Katsu was loyal to the crown and this realm as well as his duties, he had never been someone to fully submit to the authority or will of another. It just simply wasn't who he was and he doubted that would ever change. Dakari might be Prince, hell he might be King in the future, but the boy had still a ways to go and he would find that Katsu did not yield no matter what he faced. Friend or foe. Or in this case, a huffy, surprisingly hurt sounding teenager.

 

"Nevertheless, I will do my best to refrain from touching you again in such a way. We wouldn't want your person of interest to grow jealous of another. Rest assured, Princeling, I will not get in the middle of whatever you and this man have"

 

The Sentinel added lastly as he was turning away to continue his walk to the Inn. The need to shift rippled through him and he longed to take the shelter his animal body provided, yet there would be time enough for that. For now, he simply had to calm his mind and heart for the rest of the night and tomorrow he could come up with an excuse as to why he opted to travel in his feline form.

[LoneDigger]

If there was one thing he maybe even hated even more than Kisame when he was fucking around with Katsu, was being ignored or dismissed by the snow leopard. With a silent snarl the hyena had pulled himself out of the springs, still dripping wet and naked as he suddenly stood in front of the Sentinel.

 

"That wasn't a warning, it's a command that I suggest you obey."

 

More like a threat than anything, but once someone toyed with the young hyena's emotions, it was no better than playing with fire itself.

Dakari wasn't trying to prevent the other from leaving, but he didn't want him to go until he felt that the other was at least taking him seriously.

 

"How the fuck would you know anything about that? Since as you said, you always do whatever the hell you want."

[Full_Moon_Rising]

"You suggest I obey?"

 

Katsu asked and his tone came off sounding much more mocking and taunting than even he had been expecting. Perhaps it was the alcohol or perhaps it was the need to make Dakari understand once and for all that he didn't own him, Katsu wasn't sure, but he felt his mental hackles rising at the challenge. He didn't want to fight, that was the last thing he wanted but the brat needed someone to put him in his place. Katsu had every intention of keeping the peace before, but the young hyena was steadily pushing his patience.

 

"Tell me, Dakari, when have I ever submitted to your will or the will of anyone else for that matter? Ordering me to obey you is as binding as you telling the wind not to blow. I've said it before and I'll say it again....I do what I want, Princeling. And if you don't like it....then tough"

 

That long tail of his was whipping from side to side at that moment, showing a more visual display of his lack of patience for the boy. Despite his expression of perfect serenity, those vibrant blue were alight with the testy temper that usually lay dormant under the surface of his nearly perfect control.

 

"Why would I want to get in the middle of your little relationship? As much as you tend to be a thorn at my side with your little tantrums, I have no need to intervene between you and your lover. It would be distasteful of someone in my position and I have things to place my attention on other than that........Now let me make you a suggestion.....Move before I make you move"

 

If Dakari wanted to be treated as an adult, then by all means he would be. That meant that Katsu wouldn't necessarily take it easy on the boy anymore. He wouldn't hurt him, at least not too badly, but if Dakari refused to move then Katsu would have no choice other than to move him. He wasn't about to go out of the way to walk around him.

[LoneDigger]

Dakari wasn't going to take it this time, Katsu was too stubborn to see things any differently then he would show the old snow cat what happened to those who wouldn't bend to his will.

Not that he ever had, like he had mentioned. But back then he was still too small to impose his will on others. Now that he was bigger than most adults and likely stronger than half of them too he wasn't feeling so passive.

 

"Go to Hell."

 

Instead of moving out of the way, the hyena closed the distance between them. In that split moment, his primal instincts only gave him two options, kill or fuck.

Thanks to the kiss from before made it easier to chose the latter and return the favor tenfold by locking their lips together.

Dakari was sloppy in his actions, and a bit rough. Not really sure what he was doing as he gripped onto the shorter man's shoulders and closed his eyes.

 

He was dead already. But at least he could die knowing he had stolen a real kiss from the one he loved.